Full spoilers for The Walking Dead, Season 7 Episode 1 are posted below – proceed with caution

Yeun’s character was killed by Negan – along with Abraham (played by Michael Cudlitz) – during Sunday’s explosive opening.

Speaking on the Conan show in the US yesterday (October 27), Yeun revealed that the outpouring of grief from Walking Dead fans on social media almost made him feel “dead in real life.”

“It was pretty bad,” Yeun told the eponymous host about filming his death scene after serving seven years on the show. “Watching all your friends [The Walking Dead cast] cry and go through it. But I got to bug my eye out, which was pretty cool!”

Yeun also discussed how his role on The Walking Dead has affected his everyday life, revealing that he’s “learned to navigate” the trappings of fame better in the past few years.

Watch the interview clips with Yeun below, as well as a sketch that sees the actor take on his first post-Walking Dead role as a stand-in for Conan during rehearsals.